Monday Morning Musings

It was a busy weekend of racing, with events in three different sanctions at locations spread across the country. Headlining the activities, at least in terms of competitor numbers was stop #4 on the 2023 FUNNY CAR CHAOS schedule. A total of 33 cars and drivers descended on Cordova Dragway for two days and nights of wild action, culminating with four 8-car fields running eliminations under the lights on Saturday night. Unfortunately, our usually intrepid FCC photographer, "Big" Bob Snyder had to skip the event as he's still in what is turning into a long recovery from a hip replacment.

The next event on the FCC schedule is the 4th annual Funny Car Chaos Nationals at Kearney Raceway, taking place July 7-8th, followed one week later by the third Nitro Chaos race of the season at "Smokin" Mo-Kan Raceway in Asbury. MO. With the two races just one week apart, Snyder will move heaven and earth to make both events and bring us all the photos from both races. Stay tuned for those reports in mid-July.

Out west, at Bandimere Speedway, the final (sadly) Thunder On The Mountain event ran at Bandimere Speedway. Combining a Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series Division Five doubleheader with a Central Regional race, the Denver race fans were treated to a great show, despite a Friday rainout. A very full day of racing action on Saturday was more than enough to satisfy the fans appetite and some great performances made the show an exciting way to spend Father's Day weekend. Next up for the track is the final Dodge Power Brokers NHRA Mile-High Nationals, coming up next month. We're crossing our fingers, hoping that our Colorado photographer, Dale Fackler, will be able to cover the event for us.

The third race on the schedule over the weekend was the renamed Wally Parks NHRA Nostalgia Nationals at Bowling Green, KY's beautiful Beech Bend Raceway Park. With full fields of Nostalgia Top Fuel and Funny Cars headlining the show, the Kentucky race fans had a great experience after last year's minimally attended (by the Top Fuel racers) Holley National Hot Rod Reunion. This time the dragsters put on a great show, and the 11 Funny Cars made it the best nosalgia flopper fest ever seen east of the Mississippi river. Sadly for Canadian racing fans, the hard trying Victoria, BC fuel racer, "Flyin" Phil Ruskowski lost in the first round of eliminations to multi-time Hot Rod Heritage Series national champion Jim Murphy.

We'll have more to report on the Heritage Series race later in the week, but for now, congratulations to the Austin & O'Brien Funny Car team, with Bobby Cottrell driving, for winning, and to the "Great Expectations III" team of Tyler and Bobby Hilton on another dominating win as they continued the winning streak that started last season after they switched over to late-model Hemi power in their dragster.